Some might
say that capitalism has been our greatest strength—the free flow of trade based
on supply and demand, the allowance of financial markets to balance themselves
and the encouragement of entrepreneurs to bring new ideas to market in a
constant and free flow. I would argue that capitalism is of course fundamental
to our way of life, to our American society. However, I would argue that our
greatest strength as a nation is something else entirely: it is our diversity
and our tolerance. No other country has the mix of diverse cultures, living
together in communities, often under one roof, as we do. And although we have
had major bouts of intolerance including segregation, regressive immigration
policies, racism, sexism, the United States has had more laws created to
counteract breeches. Ours has never been a country of the homogeneous; our
identity was born out of tolerance for others—for their religion, primarily. We
are and have always been an amalgam of cultures, languages and mixed races. No
other country in the world has more children born to families with dual
language capabilities. Yet we are among only four countries in the world that
adjudicates monolingualism as the “natural” state of being. We now know that we
come into this world hard-wired for multiple languages, yet we continue on this
path of demanding monolingualism. Language policies in our public schools for
the most part in transitioning non-English speakers to English speaking which
effectively obliterate their home languages.
“Give
me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses…” penned Emma Lazarus in 1883 in her sonnet "The New Colossus." When in 1903, these words were
emblazoned upon the Statue of Liberty they were not watchwords of a homogeneous society striving for one language, one culture, one way of operating. Rather, these
are the watchwords of diversity. Her name is not the commonly heard moniker “Lady
Liberty;” Lazarus called her the “Mother of Exiles.” Exiles who bring their own special cultures,
languages, morals, foods, and world perspectives to our shore have always been
fundamental to our culture. It is what
has made the United States the republic it is today. Yet, we have
legislatively, linguistically, culturally maintained a suppression of those
characteristics in favor of making us fit into an unnatural state of “oneness.”
Speaking anything other than English has been seen as divisive, anti-American.
Rather than embracing and elevating to the highest esteem our multiple language
abilities, our policies and practices have suppressed our capabilities and consequently
oppressed our people.
The
time has come to recognize our diversity as our greatest strength and
legislatively, educational and economically shift our policies and practices.
Our world power – and our ability to participate fully in a globally
interconnected, digital world – will depend on it.
If we are
to participate fully as leaders in the next few years and on into the coming
centuries, we must turn this around. It is a right and a social imperative, to
teach and encourage multiple language use in our children. The need for a paradigm shift is staring us in the face.
